Organizations: Call on US to Heed UN Words on Sex Worker Rights

In November 2010, the human rights record of the United States was reviewed in Geneva by the United Nations Human Rights Council. This means the human rights record of the U.S. was given official scrutiny of the international community.

Among many recommendations made by members of the U.N. to the U.S., member state Uruguay called on the Obama Administration to "Undertake awareness-raising campaigns for combating stereotypes and violence against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people; and ensure access to public services paying attention to the special vulnerability of sexual workers to violence and human rights abuses."

The U.N.'s recommendations create an opportunity to form sustained collaborations between the Federal, State, and Local institutions and community organizations for the purpose of reducing human rights abuses of sex workers.

Please join the HIV Prevention Justice Alliance (HIV PJA) in endorsing a letter to urge our nation to take these recommendations seriously.

This action by the global community highlights human rights issues that have gone unnoticed for too long. Because of the stigma and criminalization associated with sex work, sex workers (and those profiled as such) are highly vulnerable to violence, discrimination and human rights abuses. They are also frequently impeded from accessing critical services such as healthcare, and the right to equal protection under the law. When murder, sexual assault, or physical and verbal assault is committed in these communities, they are often systematically ignored.

We know that the marginalization of sex workers and LGBTQ people fuels HIV stigma and aids HIV transmission. Please act today to support these powerful recommendations.

Please click here to see the full text of the letter and to add the endorsement of your organization.

(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Beforeadding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.)

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.